We"re Not So Different

58:37

Medieval Warfare 1: Size Queens

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/10/07

folks, we don't talk about military history all that much on the show except as an aspect of the overall narratives and histories we tell. however, we do sometimes have to talk about it specifically because it is both interesting and necessary to understanding things. it's not the end-all, be-all, most important thing ever as it is sometimes portrayed but, ya know, you can't fully enforce your politics from the throne, now can you? that monopoly of violence is there for a reason. anyway, we start a

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85:31

Patreon Ep Unlocked: Mesopotamian Afterlife

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/09/30

folks, we have referenced it a couple of times but now it's finally time to focus on the Mesopotamian Afterlife, including their underworld and ghosts. we talk about how they formed their conception of the afterlife, what it looked like, the bizarre and unfair punishments received depending on how you die, leaving milk and cookies out for Gilgamesh, the quite beautiful and tender reception that babies receive, the social reinforcement these rules provided, using the Epic of Gilgamesh as a template,

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73:00

September Mailbag 2: Sister Act

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/09/23

folks, just as the ancient prophecies foretold, we're back for a second September mailbag episode. we dive back into the patrons questions again to talk about the 90's comedy Sister Act, treatments for very small injuries, the survival of the Hungarian language, pipe smoking in the Old World, Medieval home decor, what constitutes a colony, and more!cover image is a promotional image for the 1992 film Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith

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88:17

September Mailbag 1: Chateauneuf du Pape

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/09/16

folks, we are back with another mailbag episode for your enjoyment! we take patron questions about source survival, Tolkien as a medievalist, mercenaries, old primary sources, world peace, and more!cover image is a bottle of Costco's Kirkland's Signature branded Chateauneuf du Pape, 2023 vintage I found online

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64:57

When the Church Changed

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/09/10

(00:00:00) Intro - A tales of 2 online interactions(00:06:32) What is hegemony, what does it mean for a Church to be hegemonic? (00:14:29) Hegemony can't override individual interpretations of the Bible (00:29:02) The Gregorian Reforms and the blunders that led to the crackdowns (00:40:00) When the Church changed on: clerical celibacy, just war theory, enslaving other Christians, Pagan and Muslim toleration, (00:51:03) When the Church changed on: mystery plays, folk saints, anchorites, vernacular

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66:51

Robin Hood Was NOT Wat Tyler

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/09/04

folks, the new movie Uprising, starring Andrew Garfield, is supposed to be released in a week and yet, the film's entire marketing scheme was thrown into chaos when a seemingly unauthorized trailer linking the film to Robin Hood was published online. the production company has since confirmed that the film is based on Wat Tyler and the Peasant's Uprising of 1381 but that has still led many to question the origins of Robin Hood. so we talk about this movie marketing disaster, the origins of Robin

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81:19

Medieval News You Can Use

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/08/26

(00:00:00) Cold Open - Civ 7 and more ghosts(00:10:07) Patron questions - Weird Italian perverts and Papal naming conventions (00:24:05) Intro (00:26:05) Viking Textile Industries (00:31:57) Central Europe had 16 catastrophic floods in 2 years (00:40:29) Bayeux Tapestry returns to England (00:47:07) Alchemy is totally vindicated (01:04:39) Death by Trebuchet folks, there's recently been a spate of Medieval news that is interesting enough to include in podcast form and so we decide to talk about

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93:17

Let's Rank the Avignon Popes

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/08/21

folks, some of our patrons requested that we do tier list rankings of the popes and we are so happy to oblige, you have no idea. however, we can't do all 267 at once or even in a row but we can start with some smaller chunks and so we decided to rank the seven popes of the Avignon Papacy and the two antipopes in Avignon during the Western Schism. see where we rank them all from S down to F and let us know if you agree. we've Black Death popes and lawyer antipopes and nearly reuniting the Catholic

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93:21

Peter Abelard & Heloise

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/08/12

folks, today we tackle longtime frenemy of the podcast: Peter Abelard. he's a very interesting historical figure for his positively cutting edge ideas in numerous fields of study and is singled out and oppressed by the Church and clergy but he's also most famous for an extremely problematic relationship with his lifelong love, Heloise, a probably underage girl and definitely his student and underling. it's real land of contrasts hours here, folks.cover image is a medieval manuscript drawing of

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73:12

August Mailbag: Medieval Crocs

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/08/05

folks, we're back with our monthly mailbag episode wherein we answer questions from our patrons. this time, we talk about what happens if you are shipwrecked in the Middle Ages, depictions of Jesus, Medieval crocs–the shoes, not the giant creatures, though they were around–slaves at the end of empire, noble views on chivalry, getting cut off at the Medieval pub, the worst name I’ve ever heard for a child, and more.cover image is from patron Quixotic from the Met Cloisters

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108:46

The Odyssey Review

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/07/29

folks, it's time to review Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of The Odyssey, which just came out a couple of weeks back. we talk about the good and bad choices Nolan made in his adaptation, his handling of the source material, the stellar production values, Zeus's Law, our Age of Bronze collapsing, the spectacle, Rob Pattinson's masterclass, forgetting how to read, and so much more. enjoy!

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73:44

The Fall of Troy Probably

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/07/22

folks, everyone has Odyssey fever these days, so we decided to do a little episode talking about Homer, the Iliad, the Odyssey, what they mean, a weirdo named Heinrich Schliemann, the real Fall of Troy, and what it all has to do with the Bronze Age Collapse and the enigmatic Sea Peoples. Tune in next time when we review Christopher Nolan's recently released Odyssey film.

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86:33

Patreon Ep Unlocked - Between Two Fires 1: Sock the...

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/07/15

folks, we start out book club series on Christopher Buehlman's 2012 Medievalist fantasy horror novel, Between Two Fires. we briefly introduce the author and the book and then jump right into the action. we talk plague, a magic kid, a broken man, a Dark Souls boss fight, a few miracles, and an angel named Sock. enjoy!

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91:21

July Mailbag: It's All Greek to Us

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/07/08

folks, we are back and diving into our monthly episode of patron mailbag questions. this time, we talk about grain storage, the university at Bologna, Medieval fiction writing, the Greek language, new D&D classes, and more. enjoy!

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63:09

The Wine Dark Sea

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/07/02

folks, today we talk about the Mediterranean Sea. you know it, you love it. we discuss how it just looks like a really cool place to set a fantasy series, where we would setup our fictional empire, why it was so conducive to civilization and empire formation, how it served as a conduit for trade, travel, cultural influence, religious syncretism, and more. oh, and how it's always so wine dark and primed for adventure.cover image: satellite view of the Mediterranean Sea surrounded by Europe, Asia, and

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81:36

June Mailbag 2: Flood Myths

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/06/24

folks, we are back with another mailbag because we are behind on patron questions. this time, we talk about everything from donkeys to postal services, gendered work to seasoning pans, Hungary to myths and folklore, and even a whole block of questions about peasants running away to the cities and obtaining their freedom by staying for a year and a day. enjoy!cover image: frontispiece from Gustave Dore's illustrations of The Holy Bible showing people clinging to rocks during the biblical Flood,

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81:28

Medieval Sportsball

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/06/17

folks, the World Cup is once again upon us in all of its glory and terror. so we take a look back at sports in the Middle Ages. we talk Medieval football, crossbow competitions, jousts and melees, chariot racing, the Mesoamerican ballgame, and more. we also talk about how sports has always been at the intersection of politics, culture, religion, and communal life for both the regular folks and the elites. also, we've always loved gamblingcover image: drawing made by Christoph Weiditz in 1528 showing

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94:23

June Mailbag: Aurora Borealis

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/06/10

folks, we're back and diving into the patron mailbag once again. this time, we answer questions about a host of topics, including: height differences, Aurora Borealis, best Medieval turlet, Traditional Chinese Medicine, battlefield name changes, othering, and spectacular Medieval wizard battles! check it out!cover image is of Aurora Borealis, taken from space.com

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120:00

The Life and Death of Jane Boleyn feat Logan Weimer

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/06/05

folks, back in January, we brought on Logan Weimer to talk about the unfolding situation in Minneapolis but she was originally supposed to come on the show to talk about her deep interest in the life, death, and afterlife of Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford, lady in waiting to four of Henry VIII's wives and sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn. we cover a whole range of topics, including coerced testimony, the use of "madness" as a tool for silencing unwanted voices, executions for "madness", and the poor

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122:11

Patreon Ep Unlocked: The Day the Dinosaurs Died

We"re Not So Different ·

2026/05/27

folks, this is a long one. Luke talks about his Roman Empire: the Chicxulub Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. it's a scripted episode (don't get used to it) chronicling 3 separate stories: the asteroid impact and its aftermath that killed the dinosaurs, the lives of some of those dinosaurs 66 million years ago, and the modern story of how the asteroid impact hypothesis became scientific consensus.a list of sources appears at the end of the episode, go get mad at them if you don't like the way the

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